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June 10, 2009

Schadenfreude 85 (A Continuing Series)

The Yankees would have been better off with virtually anyone else on the mound Tuesday night, as Burnett was torched for five runs in 2-2/3 innings en route to a 7-0 Red Sox victory. ...

When the Yankees handed Burnett a five-year, $82.5 million contract this winter, it was with the expectation that he and his 5-0 career mark against the Red Sox would play a key role in getting the Bombers back to the top of the AL East. Having watched Burnett cough up a 6-0 lead on April 25, then fail to make it out of the third inning last night, the Yankees might be feeling some buyer's remorse. ...

If you're going to invest $82.5 million in a guy in part because he pitches well against the Red Sox - rather than, you know, his larger body of work - then what choice do we have but to crush him when said guy doesn't deliver on his alleged skill set? ...

The final score was Red Sox 7, Yankees 0, so now the won-loss score in 2009 is Red Sox 6, Yankees 0. ...

Girardi recommended looking at "the big picture," in which the Yanks are tied atop the AL East with Boston despite the one-sided results. But do the Yanks really want to challenge the degree of difficulty by proving they can win a division while going 0-18 against their main rival?

This time A.J. Burnett did not make it out of the third inning against the Red Sox. The last time was even worse, of course. The last time was in April, and it was the day after Jason Bay had taken Mo Rivera out of Fenway in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, before Kevin Youkilis took Damaso Marte halfway to Vermont to win it. That Saturday afternoon, on national television, Burnett had a big fat 6-0 lead. Until he didn't. ...

It is not such a good thing that in his first two times out of the box against the Red Sox, a guy who is supposed to be a star Yankee has made A.J. look as if it stands for AJoke.

Tonight the Bombers take their chances with Wang, who may or may not be in touch with his inner sinker. He’s allowed 16 hits in 12 2/3 innings since returning from the disabled list, so you decide. ...

Even with $200 million worth of firepower, the Yankees still can’t land a punch on their most hated rivals.